In recent years the presence of electrical and electronic devices in our lives has proliferated. It is not uncommon to have dozens of such devices in ones home. In many cases such as with personal computer systems, entertainment systems, recharging areas, and the like, it is not uncommon to have many devices competing for one (1) electrical outlet. Additionally, many of the current household electronic devices draw electricity even when turned off while in a “standby” configuration. This can lead to wasted electricity usage and inflated electric utility bills. Increasing numbers of electric utility providers are recommending users unplug electric devices with not in use.
Many people utilize power strips to solve these problems. Power strips typically consist of a plurality of electrical receptacles wired in parallel that receive electrical plugs from various external devices which are connected to a single source of electricity though the power strip. These power strips generally provide a single switch which allows all the connected electrical devices to be simultaneously turned on and off. Some models of power strips also provide additional features, such as power indicator lights, surge protection, individual switches for each receptacle, or receiving ports for telephone cords or coaxial cable.
An example of these models can be seen U.S. Pat. No. 6,509,655, issued in the name of Wang, which describes a system including electronically-controlled power strip having a plurality of receptacles. The Wang system provides electrical receptacles that are independently controlled by an integral processing control unit.
Other devices provide specialized functions for use with particular types of electronics, as can be seen in U.S. Pat. No. 6,586,849, issued in the name of Tarr, which describes an electrical power strip for use with a computer and associated peripheral devices that allows the peripheral devices associated with the computer to be automatically turned on or off simultaneously with the computer being turned on and off.
While these devices may fulfill their respective, particular objectives, each suffers from one or more disadvantage. Most notably that the turning on and off action requires physical access to the power strip. This is not always easy when such strips are under desks, behind furniture or in the back of cabinets. This typically forces a user to access the power control switch and perhaps leave the device on thus wasting power and not utilizing the power strip to its full potential.
One solution to this is to simply move the power strip to a more accessible location, where it may be unsightly. Another attempt to solve this problem can be seen by example in U.S. Pat. No. 6,666,712, issued in the name of Kramer, which describes a remotely switched portable outlet which provides a manually actuated switch to remotely control the power supply to the portable outlet. The Kramer outlet utilizes an attached wired control switch that can be located in a more convenient location for a user. However, these solutions still limit control of the power supply to locations adjacent to the power strip and require the user to physically engage the power strip.
Additionally, ornamental designs for power strips exist, as seen by example in U.S. Pat. Nos. D 304,324, issued in the name of Lovett et al. and D 411,169, issued in the name of West. However, none of these designs are similar to the present invention.
Accordingly, there exists a need for a means by which power strips can be controlled without the requirement of physical access. The development of the present invention substantially departs from the conventional solutions and in doing so fulfills this need.